When a user must input information into a system such as a vehicle navigation system, there is a need to inform or instruct the user of the substance of the information to be input.
For example, a vehicle navigation system typically requires confirmation from a user that the user is aware of and accepts conditions regarding the use of the system. The conditions of use can be presented in the form of a disclaimer, in response to which the user is required to input an acknowledgement of acceptance of the disclaimer.
It is known to provide a disclaimer on the display of the navigation system, whereby the user can read the disclaimer prior to operating the navigation system. It is also known to provide the disclaimer in the form of speech interaction, whereby the navigation system reads, or speaks the disclaimer to the user, for example, via the vehicle audio system. Where speech interaction for a disclaimer is provided, multiple modes of presenting the disclaimer (e.g., speech and display) and/or multiple modes of responding to the disclaimer (for example by a voice activation command, touching a button displayed on a touch sensitive navigation screen, or operating a control switch or button on a vehicle dashboard or steering wheel or the like) can be provided.
An advantage of the use of speech interaction for the disclaimer is that the driver of a vehicle does not need to look at a display to read the disclaimer. However, a disadvantage of presenting the disclaimer via speech is that it takes time to convey the disclaimer. A technical problem that arises in such a case is that the presentation of the disclaimer in verbal form (i.e. using speech) is that the speech interaction may be interrupted by, for example, receipt of a call on a vehicle telephone, receipt of a warning signal in response to a fault condition relating to a vehicle system, or receipt of a user input.
In a known system, it is necessary for the user to employ some other form of interface to accept the disclaimer and/or to restart the speech interaction once the disclaimer has been accepted.
In another known system, a user is required to listen to a disclaimer and then to accept the disclaimer. However, there can be circumstances where a user would prefer to read the disclaimer and touch a button on a screen, dashboard, steering wheel, or the like. Also, there can be situations as mentioned above where other components can interrupt the speech interaction. As a result, a user can potentially listen to an entire disclaimer and then still not be able to continue the speech interaction due to some higher priority function having taken over control of the speech control interface.
Accordingly, an embodiment of the invention seeks to mitigate at least some of the technical problems discussed above.